Fisherman&#39;s utility toolbox



Dec. 23, 1952 w. A. UTTZ 2,622,729

FISHERMANS UTILITY TOOLBOX Filed June 8, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET l WILL mm A. UTTz HVVENTOR.

= A TTO/(WEY Patented Dec. 23, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT F F'I CiE FISHERMAMS UTILITY *TGOLBOX -William A. Uttz, Fort Worth, Tex.

Application June 8, 1950, Serial No..166,884

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to utility kits for fishermen, and other sportsmen, and it has particular reference to a compact unit in which is embodied a variety of different tools or instruments adapted for use of knives, pincers, screw drivers, and other purposes, and its principal object resides in the provision of a'utilitarian article having characteristics adapting the same to be carried in a pocket or stored in a convenient location for ready use when any one of a variety of instruments contained in the unit are to be made use of,'as when the device is employed as a part of a fishing kit, such instruments as measuring tape, scales, fish-cleaning blades, and the like, maybe brought into use by the sportsman, as well as certain medical. articles .which may be compactly contained within the assembly.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a compact kit, containing a variety'of difierent types of instruments, which is formed with a housing having a removable cover, and appurtenances by which-a sportman can, in emergencies, accommodate different requirements without the necessity of carrying a variety of different types of instruments usually desirable when in isolated locationsysuch as at remotely situated lakesrstreams, and the like.

This invention further comprehends the-provision of an arrangement of parts which can be economically formedand assembled so that many different types of instruments required by a fisherman, for example, can be afforded at a minimum of cost while reducing the bulk of the assembly to a relatively small and compact form and maintaining the various instruments in a single package-for ready availability.

Broadly, it is contemplated that the invention be so for-med as to compactly include features of design and construction which will meet most of theessential requirements of sportsmen, particularly fishermen, for th numerous small instruments desirable on such expeditions, including small quantities of emergency medical supplies, and the like, while also affording such desirable instruments as measuring tapes, scales, thermometer, and other similar items.

While the foregoingobjects are paramount, other and lesser objects'will become manifest as the description proceeds, taken inv connection with the appended drawings'wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the vpreierred form of the invention, illustrating. the. compactness thereof.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of theinvention, showing the cylindrical housing for anrextensible tape measure, and the extensible handle forithe device.

Figure 3 is a form of the invention, in top plan view, showing the cover removed, and illustrating a scale and instrument stored therein.

Figure 4 is a perspective illustration of .one'of the compact implements designed to-be housed within the invention.

Figure 5 is a perspective illustration of" another instrument capable of being housed withint'the compact.

Figure 6 illustrates the invention in cylindrical form, showing the extensible tape housedmn one end, and illustrating the manner in which-a scale may be extensible concentricallyot the tape housing.

Figure 7 is a perspectiveillustrationof .1 the form of the invention-shown in- Figure 6, showing the cover open andillustrating the several instruments contained within the housing.

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of the-"form of the invention shown in Figures 6 and 7, the slidable cover being shown partially open -.an'd illustrating the contents of the housing.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of yetanother modified form of the housing.

Figure 10 illustrates another form ofthe invention, the housing being illustrated partially in longitudinal section, and showing-a blade extending from one end of the housing having :serra tions thereon.

Figure 11 is a plan View of the device illustrated in Figure 10, showing the iormof the extended blade, the housing cover, and the casing for the extensible tape associated with .the housing.

Figure 12 is an inverted plan view of therdevice shown in Figures 10 and 11, and illustrating the scale hook attached to the underside of :the housing.

Figured? is a rear end elevational'view of the device.

Figure 14 shows the invention in operative position.

Figure 15 is a perspective view of theihousing In its preferred form, illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the invention comprises a housing I which is substantially rectangular in form and has a hinged cover II. The housing l6 has a portion |2 extended rearwardly providing a base for a cylindrical casing |3 for an extensible measuring tape H, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, and the housing l3 has a central pivot l5 by which it is attached to the casing l0 so that the member 13 can be rotatably adjusted on the base l2, a series of bosses |6 being arranged around the perimeter of the top of the casing I3, registering with an embossment H in the cover providing for fixed rotative adjustments of the casing |3 with respect to its base l2.

A blade I8 is arranged through the housing I0. and the top of the base |2, so that it may be slidably extended from the housing l0, opposite the base |2, to provide a tool such as that illustrated in Figures 10, 11 and 12. The blade I8 is serrated along one edge |9 to define teeth 20, as shown in Figures 10, 11 and 12, and may be provided with conformations on its outer end such as the bottle cap remover 2| and a fishhook ejector 22, and a plurality of apertures 23 providing for wrenches, and the like. The blade I8 separates the housing Ill into upper and lower compartments 24 and 25, the upper compartment, on which the cover II is arranged, providing for the stora e of such items as medicaments, or the like, indicated as 26 in Figure 7. The lower compartment 25 is divided into a plurality of smaller receptacles 27, 23 and 29, as shown in Figure 3, and these compartments have communications 30, 3| and 32 at one end of the housing l0, as shown in Figure 3, to receive a variety of instruments as indicated at 33 and 34, and a scale assembly 35 shown in operative position in Figures 14 and 18.

The compact assembly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 has a bail or handle 36, which is substantially U-shaped, as shown in Figure 2, and its legs are slidably secured in keepers on each side of the housing l0 so that the member 26 can be extended affording means whereby the device may be suspended from the users belt, or providing means for handling the same. The scale assembly has a hook 38 connected to the stem 35 and is capable of being folded back against the bottom of the housing In and secured by an extended lug 39 formed therein so that the hook 38 can be released, when desired, and can depend from the assembly in the manner illustrated in Figures 17 and 18. Other features, such as the knurled portion 43 on one side of the housing It, may be afforded for convenience in striking matches.

The instruments 33 and 34, illustrated particularly in Figures 4 and 5, may consist of longitudinally and pivotally joined members 4| and 42 which can be folded to the position shown in Figure 3 and stored in the compartment 21. The portion 4| of the member 33 may be provided with serrations 43, on one edge, and a slot 44 in the end thereof affording means for conveniently removing fish hooks, and the like. The opposite member 42 may be of any desired form and provide an instrument for various purposes.

The opposite end of the member 4| can be formed with a screw driver tip 45. However, it is contemplated that the instruments shown in Figures 4 and 5, and shown encased within the housing In in Figure 3, may be of any particular.

4 design since these instruments do not form a part of the invention.

The device illustrated in Figure 5 is also formed with two members 46 and 41, the latter being pivoted at 48 to the member 46. A cutting blade 49 can be formed on the outer end of the member 46 while on each of the opposite ends of the members 46 and 41 may be transversely fluted at 56 and 5| to afiord a tensioned spreading device for application to the mouth of a fish, for example, in operations involving removing the hook therefrom.

In Figures 6, 7 and 8 is illustrated a modified form of the invention in which the housing 52 is cylindrical and has a hinged cover 53. On one end of the housing is attached a cylindrical casing 54 for a measuring tape 55. A plurality of compartments 56, 51 and 58 are formed in the lower portion of the housing 52 to accommodate the implements 33 and 34, previously described and illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, and the scale assembly which is arranged in the central compartment 51, as shown in Figure 7, and has its operating stem 59 extending from the end of the housing 52 opposite the casing 54. The upper portion or cover 53 defines a compartment 60 in which may be housed the medical articles 26, previously referred to. The cover 53 on the housing 52 may be slidably arranged, in the manner shown in Figure 8.

In Figure 9 is shown a modified form of the housing IU, of the device illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, having a body portion 6| and a cover 62, hinged at 63 to one end of the member 6| and having a latch 64 at the opposite end. An extensible measuring tape 65 may be arranged within the housing 6| and extended to one side thereof toward the latch 64, as shown in Figure 9.

A modified form of the invention is shown in Figures 10, 11 and 12 and this device includes a housing H], with its cover I I but embodies a blade l8 which is rigidly connected in the housing I0 and has its extended portion permanently projecting from the housing ID from the forward end thereof and having a portion 56 projecting from the opposite end of the housing In and on the extremity of this member is a curved tip 61 which may be employed for such uses as prying off jar lids, and the like. This form of the device also includes upper and lower compartments 24 and 25 in which the instruments 33 and 34, and the scale assembly, are arranged. The cylindrical casing l3 has a tape I4 operatively contained therein and is arranged on the housing l0 rearwardly from the extended portion of the blade l8.

Among the several instruments capable of being stored within the housing H], in the compartments 2'! and 29, is a tool 68, shown in Figure 16, which comprises a pair of hingedly connected members 69 and 1D, the member 69 having a sharpened portion H formed on its outer end to afford a knife. Also included among the several instruments enclosed in the housing I6 is a thermometer 12 which may be employed on the end of a hook 13 for testing the water temperatures when this is desirable.

It is apparent that the structures herein shown and described may be modified or changed, from time to itme, by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and intent of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a compact fishing tool, in combination, a casing having a removable cover and a plurality of compartments formed therein, a blade arranged in said casing and capable of being extended therefrom, serrations formed along one edge of said blade, a housing for a measuring tape arranged on said casing having a tape operatively contained therein, a scale operatively supported in one of the compartments in said casing, and a plurality of difierent instruments arranged in others of said compartments.

2. In a utility compact for fishermen, in combination, a casing having a plurality of compartments formed therein and a removable cover, ablade slidably arranged in said casing and capable of longitudinal extension therefrom to operative position, means associated With said casing having a measuring tape therein and extensible therefrom, a scale operatively arranged in one of the compartments of said casing, Openings in the ends of said casing to certain of said compartments whereby to receive different instruments enclosed therein.

3. In a fishermans compact utility tool, in combination with a casing having a plurality of separate compartments therein and a removable cover, a blade member arranged longitudinally through said casing, and extensible therefrom to 2.)

operative position, a cylindrical housing supported on said casing having a measuring tape therein and extensible therefrom, a mounting for said tape housing adapting the same for rotation and adjustment to different rotative positions, the said compartments in said casing being adapted to receive a plurality of different instruments capable of being removed from the ends of said casing.

4. In a fishermans utility tool, in combination, a casing formed with upper and lower compartments, a blade arranged in said casing separating said compartments and extensible from said casing from one end thereof, a housing for a measuring tape arranged on one end of said casing and rotatably adjustable to different rotative positions, a plurality of receptacles formed in said lower compartment, each having a communication through one end of said casing providing means for receiving a variety of instruments removable therefrom.

WILLIAM A. U'I'IZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,388,187 Marble Aug. 23, 1921 2,307,073 Powell Jan. 5, 1943 2,413,082 Skaer Dec. 24, 1946 2,501,270 Fleming Mar. 21, 1950 

